Free Citi Bike Memberships Available For Health-Care, First-Responder And Transit Workers

Recognizing the importance of safe, effective commuting during this public health crisis, Mayor de Blasio and Lyft have announced a new Citi Bike Critical Workforce Membership Program. 

The program offers a free month of Citi Bike to critical first-responder, health-care and public-transit workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Biking is a good way to commute in the open air and keep safe social distances, as an alternative to enclosed spaces like cars or trains.

“If your job at the MTA, NYPD, FDNY or a hospital requires you to move around,” NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a press release. “I strongly encourage you to become a Citi Bike member — and take advantage of this means of transportation that is fast and convenient. In these difficult times, Citi Bikes — which are also being cleaned with increased regularity — allow riders to remain safe and socially distant.”

If you are an eligible public employee, your employer should be contacting you soon with next steps. If you are a health care employee, your employer can email [email protected] for enrollment information. In the meantime, brush up on your skills with DOT’s official guide to cycling in NYC. 

One final note: Make sure to wear a helmet and be safe for the sake of the already overstretched medical system, and, for those of us who don’t work in these sectors, let’s try to stay off the roads and greenways as much as possible to keep the way clear for essential transportation.